The Zeno-like effect in a spin-chain quantum battery

Abstract: Quantum batteries, which can be seen as energy- or state-storage devices exploiting coherence and other quantum effects, are sensitive to environmental noise. Here we show that, when suitably engineered, environmental noise can induce a "Zeno-like" stabilization of the charging process in a spin-chain quantum battery. To explore this interplay, we study a system size N=6, which provides large storage capacity with moderate computational cost, and more importantly, allows the stored energy to become almost fully extractable since the ergotropy nearly coincides with the total capacity. We analyze three local noise channels: bit flip, phase flip, and bit phase flip. We vary the strength of each channel to emulate frequent environmental monitoring, reminiscent of the quantum Zeno effect, and track its influence on the charging dynamics and stored energy. The phase-flip channel slows charging under strong noise but stabilizes stored energy and ergotropy. The bit-flip channel enables faster charging but saturates at low capacities, while the bit phase flip channel combines both features. In the discharging stage, different noise channels lead to distinct release dynamics, showing that noise can paradoxically enhance and stabilize quantum battery operation.